Fun and Simple
Yoga Poses to Improve Balance

Some fun yoga poses to improve balance include balancing on one shin, balancing cat pose with the same side hand and foot lifted, balancing on the knees, and even balancing while kneeling with the toes tucked under and the knees lifted.

Other balance variations can include side plank, downward dog with the same side arm and leg lifted, boat pose, rolling sit ups, and backwards rolling. Some standing yoga poses for improving balance include weight shifting from two legs to one and also weight shifting forwards and backwards while standing on both feet or only on one foot.

While kneeling with toes tucked under, try leaning back far enough that your knees only lightly touch the floor. You may actually be upright, the important thing is that you can feel your knees only lightly touching the floor. Then try to lift your knees while staying balanced on your forefeet and toes.

Improving balance can be a little more fun with the following "balancing on your shin" yoga pose.

Kneeling with your hips lifted, shift your weight to one shin and then lift the other shin. To make balancing easier you may find it helpful to shift your weight back so that you can press your toes into the floor.

A variation of the shin balance exercise starts in cat pose on all fours.

Shift your hips to the left. Feel your left knee pushing down into the floor. Your right leg should feel relaxed, as if it isn't bearing weight. Lift your right leg and reach it back with the knee straight.

Next, shift your ribcage to the left. Feel your left shoulder become engaged. Your right shoulder should feel relaxed.

You can keep your right hand relaxed and lightly touching the floor. Then if you feel comfortable with your balance, try to slowly and smoothly reach your right hand forwards.

To stay balanced you can move your hand left or right whenever you feel your weight shifting or move your lifted leg left or right.

For downward dog you can first focus on reaching back with your hips. Then shift your ribcage to one side and lift the un-weighted hand. Then shift the hips and lift the un-weighted foot (shift ribcage and pelvis to the same side.) Keep your foot and ankle stiff to make staying balanced as easy as possible.

Rolling sit ups are another favorite balancing exercise which also exercise the abs. Round the back and roll backwards and then forwards back up to a seated position. (Use your hands if you need to, then work towards doing it without having to use your hands to help.)

Once you have the hang of it, work at doing it slowly.

Then roll all the way back onto your shoulders and then forwards onto your buttocks. This can be used as a preparation for plow yoga pose. When rolling back if you can't get your hips up and your legs back, use your hands to help. Get used to getting your weight over your shoulders so that you don't need to use your hands. To roll slowly work at keeping your center just over your point of contact with the floor, or just in front of it so that this imbalance helps you to roll.

A variation of this balance exercise starts in dead dog pose. Lying on all fours with arms and legs reaching straight up, reach your hands and legs forwards and lift your head. Then slowly sit up and while balancing on your butt. Pause and then return to the dead dog position, but slowly. Repeat a few times. (First 2 pictures below.)

Yet another rolling balance exercise is to roll back and then roll up into a squat (last picture above). This can be used as a transtion from sitting to standing. The idea is to be able to roll into a squat from a seated position. But to work towards that you may have to roll on to your shoulders first and use momentum.

Once you can do crow pose then another yoga balance exercise is to balance on your butt, roll back slowly, then roll forwards slowly into a squat and then from there continue moving forwards into crow pose.

Then reverse the process and repeat.

Standing Poses for Improving Balance

Some standing balancing exercises for improving balance include balancing on the fronts of your feet and balancing on one foot.

Another standing pose to improve balance is to Balance on one foot. Try shifting sideways to one foot. Stop when you feel your other foot relax. Make your standing foot and ankle strong so that you can lift your unweighted leg without further shifting your upper body.

When working towards eagle yoga pose start with your top leg resting on the supporting thigh. Slowly intertwine the legs and if get to the point where you can hook your foot, do it slowly and smoothly. Once intertwined you can add tension to the legs gradually by pressing the knees and shins against each other.

Balance Basics

The Balance Basics ebook includes a more comprehensive and detailed look at balance theory (as it applies to yoga), along with exercises to experience balance. And it includes an optional set of videos that you can download with standing balance exercises that explain how to feel and control the feet and your center for better balance.

As a yoga teacher, I'm constantly exploring new exercises, new ways of doing yoga poses.

There is no single "right way" of doing a yoga pose. Instead, there are options. And the better you are at "feeling" your body, the better you can get at choosing the right option for your body as it is now.

For any technique, the point of practice is to learn feel it and to control it, so that it can be used without thinking about how to use it.

And that is more or less the approach taken in all of my ebooks and videos. They help you to feel your body and control it so that you can work towards using it effectively in anything that you do.